Psychedelic murals coat the inside of a nondescript research library.

At a museum of everyday objects, it is the act of collecting that is really on display.

A scientific repository of goiters, boils and other ailments throughout Mexican history.

An airy Art Deco space devoted to the weird and wonderful folk art traditions of Mexico.

The hot chocolate here all stems from small, sustainable microproducers in Chiapas and Tabasco.

This old-school café is famous for serving coffee, chilaquiles, and the Cuban Revolution.

This popular cave pool is truly magical, despite the crowds.

The "world's smallest volcano" has been used to store meals and dispose of dead bodies.

Kitschy horror displays now fill the house where some very real serial killing took place.

This Oaxacan town is known for its colorful fantastical creatures hand-carved by local artisans.

This beautifully deceptive waterfall is something far different from what it appears to be.

These natural cliffs look like they are a part of an old castle complex.

At the time of its construction, this type of door was nearly unheard of.

The decommissioned steam engine’s whistle can still be heard three times a day at one of Japan’s oldest train stations.

This giant fashion model is one of the most beloved symbols of Nagoya.

A kitsch shrine dedicated to the ogre-slaying folktale hero born from a peach.

The largest of its kind in Japan, this century-old wasabi farm is also known for its appearance in an Akira Kurosawa film.

This ancient burial site was once thought to be the home of a race distinctive to Ainu folklore.

A Japanese shrine to dolls.

This temple is steeped in local folklore involving a teakettle and a raccoon dog.

An eerie maze of industrial factories looks like something out of a dystopian sci-fi.

Devoted Buddhists can earn enlightenment in the next life by crawling through this symbolic nostril.

Largest graveyard in all of Japan surrounds a famous mausoleum.

These Japanese gardens are blankets of light for dark winter nights.